In case you missed our in-depth report last month, TGI Fridays debuted flying mistletoe drones at its UK locations as a festive addition to everyone’s go-to chain restaurant for the holiday season. But the drone didn’t stick the landing at its New York debut, clipping a photographer in the face and drawing blood.
Let’s set the scene. The mistletoe drone was set to make its debut under the big New York City lights at the TGIFs in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Anyone who was anyone was there, and of course the swank eatery was swarming with paparazzi. And that’s where everything went wrong.
The chilling account, from Brooklyn Daily:
The two remote-controlled helicopters dangling sprigs of mistletoe were intended to spread holiday romance, but one of them flew out of control and clipped Courier photographer Georgine Benvenuto in the nose with one of its spinning, uncovered blades.
“It literally chipped off a tip of my nose,” said Benvenuto, using tissues to stanch the blood. “It took off part of my nose and cut me here, right under my chin.”
Adding insult to cyborg-inflicted injury, drone operator David Quiones blamed the Brooklyn Daily reporter for flinching after the reporter asked Quiones to land the drone on their hand, sending the smooch machine caroming into Benvenuto’s mug.
In a scene familiar to any horror film connoisseur, A TGI Friday’s spokeswoman dismissed the public’s concerns, saying the drone’s bloodlust was a one-time occurrence, and the machine was perfectly safe.
A spokeswoman for TGI Friday’s insisted that earlier Mobile Mistletoe events in Long Island and Texas incurred no casualties and dismissed concerns about further injuries — even from the much larger, 23-inch drone sporting six uncovered propellers — saying that customers will stay clear of the whirling, five-inch blades.
“We do not let consumers touch it,” said Frances Karkosak, a spokeswoman for the restaurant chain.
If all that’s keeping us from additional carnage is TGI Fridays customers (and Americans in general) ignoring a “Do Not Touch” directive, we’re doomed.
[h/t Brooklyn Daily]
